Pollard Banknote Limited recently announced a new five-year contract with the Michigan Lottery. The deal will see PBL provide approximately 90% of Michigan’s instant lottery tickets each year.
Pollard Banknote has enjoyed a 27-year relationship with Michigan, and the company continues to expand its North American footprint.
With its retail impact already evident, Pollard Banknote is looking to build on iLottery through a partnership with NeoGames.
The established NeoPollard business already finds itself as one of the major online lottery players in the country.
Pollard Banknote supplying 90% of Michigan Lottery instant games
From fiscal year 2013 to 2023, Pollard Banknote has printed about 90% of Michigan’s instant lottery games. During that time, instant ticket sales per capita increased 182% in Michigan, compared to 66% throughout the US.
Over that same period, Michigan’s $20 instant tickets have grown in sales by 385%.
This latest contract extends the partnership for at least five years. The agreement allows for one-year renewal options for up to five additional years.
Pollard Banknote was also awarded a contract to supply validation pull-tab tickets in Michigan. Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Pollard Banknote, provided his response to the news through a press release:
“We are honored to be selected as the primary supplier of instant game tickets to the Michigan Lottery. We deeply value the relationship we have built with both the Michigan Lottery and the communities in which we operate within the state. As a testament to our successful collaboration and efforts to deliver outstanding games and innovative retail solutions into the Michigan market, we take pride in having contributed to four-fold sales growth since the start of our partnership almost 30 years ago. We look forward to continued success and growth in the years to come.”
Deep ties to Michigan
Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide. It provides instant ticket products, licensed games, in-lane ticket options, and sales-driving merchandising solutions from its Schafer Retail Solutions + portfolio.
It also lists a full suite of digital offerings. That ranges from game apps to comprehensive player engagement and iLottery solutions. PBL also provides strategic marketing and management services for lottery operations.
Along with its head office in Winnipeg, Pollard Banknote has eight other facilities around the globe. That includes six in the United States and another two in Canada.
Included in those offices is a facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. According to a recent economic report by East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group, in 2022 alone, Pollard Banknote created 475 jobs in the state and spent more than $92.6 million operating and investing in its Michigan facilities. That generated a total of $51.7 million in economic activity.
The manufacturing plant in Ypsilanti alone produced approximately 7 billion instant tickets for lotteries around the world in 2023.
NeoPollard a leading iLottery brand in the US
In January 2023, Pollard Banknote entered a joint venture agreement with NeoGames to create NeoPollard Interactive LLC in order to pursue iLottery opportunities in North America.
States are able to play digital instant games from NeoGames Studio on their desktop and mobile phones through an application developed by Pollard Digital Studios.
NeoPollard handles player management, game management, payments, compliance, responsible gaming, and all essential iLottery functions.
NeoPollard Interactive’s solution is already operational in multiple states. The Michigan online lottery, Virginia online lottery, and New Hampshire online lottery already utilize NeoPollard. Recently, West Virginia struck a new 10-year contract with the company.
At the end of February, NeoPollard also added North Carolina to its available iLottery states.
According to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, NeoPollard held 65% of the iLottery gross wager market share in the US in early 2023.
Pollard Banknote and NeoGames hope to continue to build their business in the US, as projections call for the country to see continued growth in years to come.
According to Statista, online lottery in the United States is projected to reach $5.74 billion in revenue in 2024.
Photo by PlayiLottery
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